Food Stabilizer is a term that is used to describe any substance that helps keep food from degrading. Food stabilized products are a combination of various additives and stabilizers that are added during processing. They help keep the product in check while it undergoes storage and processing. Food stabilized products are also known as preservatives. A stabilizer is an additive to food that helps to maintain its chemical structure. Typical uses for food stabilized products include preventing water, oil emulsions, ice crystals, and other emulsions from separating with other products during processing; preventing the formation of lactic acid during extended storage; and maintaining the food's flavor and texture.
Preservatives in food stabilizers include bromine, carbon dioxide, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, phenol carbon dioxide, pectin, salt, sugar, trehalose, tannic acid, vanillin, flavoring substances, lactic acid, benzoic acid, and other organic chemicals. In food processing and storage, food stabilizers play a vital role. Apart from prolonging the storage time of food, they ensure homogenous dispersion of food ingredients. The process of food processing includes several steps like grinding, roasting, steaming, baking, heating, blending, peeling, canning, and dehydrating. Through this, some or most of these ingredients tend to be oxidized, which leads to undesired taste, smell, and texture.